


Unconventional!

by Ninja_Librarian



Series: The Many Adventures of Duckburg's Heroes! [16]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Also Louie is ace, And he has neither the time nor patience to deal with the grossness of the couples', But being called a 'Fake Fan' of Darkwing Duck is not one of them, But can also be super toxic, Dewey also has complicated feelings that he doesn't know how to deal with, Drake Mallard can handle a lot of insults, F/M, Fandoms are beautiful and wonderful things, Featuring a new OC: Yasmeen the hijab wearing cosplaying artist friend of Launchpad's!, Gen, In which Louie tries to teach Fenton how to be lazy, Lena and Huey are two very different types of Fendra shippers, Locked Room Mystery, M/M, Misogyny, Multi, No spoilers for the end of Season Three, Nothing can stop the Dewey-Launchpad Bromance!, Storkules has complicated feelings that he doesn't know how to deal with, Storkules is in denial, Vacations get turned into adventures with the Duck family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninja_Librarian/pseuds/Ninja_Librarian
Summary: One long weekend. Two very different adventures.The Duck family is headed to Ithaquack, taking along their friends for a relaxing vacation filled with time at the beach, good food, and great company. When Selene suggests a girls-only adventure to locate the Bow of Artemis, they get a lot more than they bargained for when they come face to face with the goddess herself and her Hunters. Meanwhile, the boys have bonding time back on the beach, in which Louie tries his hardest to teach an anxious Fenton how to be lazy for a day while a conversation with his sister causes Storkules to be uncertain of some aspects of his friendship with Donald and Daisy.Meanwhile, Launchpad, Drake, and Dewey head to New Quackmore to meet up with Loopy for a Darkwing Duck fan convention. However, the con leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to some of the other "fans" they meet. When a valuable prop from the show goes missing in the convention hall--which goes into lockdown--and a friend of Launchpad and Loopy's is blamed, Drake, Dewey and the McQuacks rush to clear her name. Who is the real thief, where is the prop, and, in a room full of cosplayers, can the real Darkwing Duck save the day?
Relationships: Daisy Duck/Donald Duck, Drake Mallard/Launchpad McQuack, Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera/Gandra Dee, One-sided (?) Storkules/Daisy Duck, One-sided (?) Storkules/Donald Duck
Series: The Many Adventures of Duckburg's Heroes! [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1478648
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	Unconventional!

**Friday morning, Duckburg**

“Did you get the floor plans?” Drake asked Launchpad immediately upon seeing him enter the entry-hall of McDuck Manor.

Launchpad nodded, solemnly and seriously, patting the bag at his side. “Got them printed and to-scale, as well as downloaded onto my phone. Just sent you your copy.”

“We have to plan carefully, strategically,” Drake continued. “One misstep could cost us.”

“Way ahead of you,” Launchpad said, pulling out a binder and handing it to Drake. “I’ve got a timeline, and the whens and wheres for staying on target.”

“Ooh, is this color-coded?” Drake said, sounding impressed as he flipped through the binder. Then he frowned and looked up, “Launchpad, why are the food areas marked most prominently?”

“Because I’m not allowing for there to be any hangrys at this con!” Launchpad answered.

“We did our due diligence, Drake,” Dewey said as he dragged his duffel bag into the room. “Lots of research was involved. And a couple of stake-outs. Want to hear the criteria for our five-star rating system?”

“Hey, could you guys do your nerd talk and battle strategy after the rest of us are gone so we don’t have to hear about it?” Gosalyn called over from across the room.

“Cons are serious business,” Drake declared. “They require serious pre-planning if you want them to be a success.”

Louie rolled his eyes. “Ugh, can you _please_ just call it a convention and stop sullying the good name of ‘con’?”

From the converging point at McDuck Manor, two different adventures were about to commence. Storkules and his sister, Selene, had extended an invitation for a weekend on Ithaquack to Donald, Della, the manor kids, Fenton, Gandra, Violet, Lena, Gosalyn, and Daisy.

Meanwhile, Drake, Launchpad, and Dewey were heading towards New Quackmore for a _Darkwing Duck_ fan convention.

“Last call for you to ditch the nerd-fest and come hang out with the cool kids,” Gosalyn told Dewey.

“Uh, and miss an opportunity to get some _ah-mazing_ guest stars on my Dewey Dew-Night show? I think not,” Dewey said, folding his arms over his chest and looking a bit smug. “Are you sure _you_ don’t want to come with us and meet actual television stars?”

“No thank you,” Gosalyn said, frowning slightly in distaste. “My life is basically a never-ending _Darkwing Duck_ con, complete with its own panels, cosplayers, and collector’s hall—especially now that Launchpad’s moving in. I want to know what life is like when the con is over.”

“From my understanding, life after the con is over is usually spent suffering from the Con Crud,” Huey said.

“True,” Gosalyn admitted with a slight bobbing of her head.

“Please stop calling it a con,” Louie groaned.

“Hey, Drake,” Della said, stepping over and putting her hands on Louie’s shoulders. “Explain something to me. You’re Darkwing Duck.”

“Yeah?” Drake said, frowning at her slightly.

“And you’re going to a _Darkwing Duck_ con,” Della continued. Louie coughed pointedly. “Sorry, sweetie, _convention_.”

“Okay, why are you acting like this is all new information to you?” Drake asked.

“Well, it just occurred to me that you, Darkwing Duck, going to a _Darkwing Duck_ convention might seem a little, uh, what’s the word I’m looking for?” Della said, snapping her fingers slightly as she thought.

“Vain?” Lena suggested.

“Egotistical?” Webby suggested.

“Pompous?” Violet added.

“Going to give him a bigger head than he’s already got?” Gosalyn said dryly.

“All of those,” Della said, snapping her fingers one last time and pointing finger guns at each of the girls.

Drake gave his daughter a glare before responding to Della, saying, “If you must know, I was personally invited.”

Della blinked. “As Darkwing Duck?”

“No, as the president of the Jim Starling Fan Club.”

Della and the kids stared at Drake for a moment.

“Jim Starling,” Lena repeated dryly. “As in, _that_ Jim Starling?”

“As in, the guy we all refer to as Negaduck?” Gosalyn said, arching an eyebrow.

“As in, the guy who has tried to blow you up on a couple of different occasions?” Webby asked.

“As in, the guy who stabbed you that one time?” Huey added.

“The one who keeps breaking other villains out of jail?” Violet said.

“Along with his equally crazy sorceress girlfriend who gets her magic _from stabbing people_?” Louie said. “ _That_ Jim Starling?”

Drake rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, _that_ Jim Starling. I was president of the fan club before he went crazy and I made Darkwing Duck into a real superhero. I’m just going so that I can officially resign and pass on my title in a peaceful and democratic fashion. The real Darkwing Duck won’t be making any appearances. This one is all Drake Mallard.”

“And Launchpad McQuack!” Launchpad said, slinging his arm around Drake’s shoulders.

“And Dewey Duck!” Dewey said, jumping in front of them with jazz hands. “This weekend is going to be awesome!”

“We need to head out before traffic gets bad,” Drake said, glancing at his watch. He gave Gosalyn a hug, kissing her head as he said, “Have fun on Ithaquack.”

“Have fun being the Kings of Nerd Land,” Gosalyn said, giving Launchpad a hug as well before the three of them left.

“Alright, so who wants to come help me do the pre-flight check to get the Cloud Slayer ready for take-off?” Della asked the remaining kids.

“Me!” Webby, Gosalyn, and Violet said, Webby putting her hand in the air and standing on her toes in excitement.

“I’ll wait here for Uncle Donald and Daisy,” Louie said. “They should be back soon.”

Violet paused in front of Huey and gestured towards the front entryway as she said, “Hubert, it may be in everyone’s best interest if you go and assist in getting Fenton on the plane.”

“Ugh, he’s _still_ dragging his feet?” Lena said, rolling her eyes. “Huey, go talk sense into him, I did _not_ spend three hours at the mall for this.”

“What does the mall have to do with any of this?” Huey asked as Lena shoved his shoulders.

He didn’t get an answer as Lena gave him another shove, sending him over to where Fenton stood, talking with his mother and Scrooge, Gandra’s arm wrapped around his waist, clearly trying to steer him away and failing.

“Let me just call Dr. Gearloose one more time, make sure the armor is tightly secured,” Fenton was saying, phone in his hand, ready to dial. “Can’t have Mark Beaks try to steal it again. You know what, maybe this is a bad idea. I mean, Drake did already call dibs on this weekend off, and—”

“Come now, lad, there’s nothing to worry about,” Scrooge interrupted, hooking his cane around Fenton’s wrist to gently lower the hand holding the phone. “Duckburg has survived without superheroes before, and Duckburg will survive for a weekend without them.”

“Really, the only thing you need to worry about is Penumbra stealing your job,” Rosa added, plucking the phone out of Fenton’s hand entirely and handing it to Gandra, who tucked it into the pocket of her jeans before Fenton had a chance to grab it back. “Given her level of enthusiasm when asked if she would be willing to play vigilante for a few days.”

Fenton still looked hesitant, perhaps pitying the poor bad guys who would be very surprised when they came face to face with Penumbra instead of Gizmoduck or Darkwing. “I don’t know…”

“You’ll like Ithaquack,” Huey said. “It’s the perfect weekend getaway. A little sun, a little surf, lots of great food… A weekend of R & R is just what the doctor ordered. And that’s not hyperbole, since it was Dr. Schwanz’s suggestion in the first place.”

“Okay, but what if—”

“Oh, are you kidding me?” Lena grumbled from across the room where she stood beside Louie. Then she took a deep breath, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “FENTON MANUEL CRACKSHELL-CABRERA, I SPENT WAY TOO MUCH TIME HELPING GANDRA FIND A SWIMSUIT FOR YOU TO STAY IN DUCKBURG AND NOT SEE HOW SEXY SHE IS IN IT!”

“LENA!” Huey exclaimed, looking scandalized while Fenton sputtered and quickly turned red. Rosa snorted a laugh and Scrooge sighed heavily, shaking his head.

“Gross, Lena,” Louie said, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

“It’s true, though, my swimsuit makes me look very sexy,” Gandra said, smirking slightly as she nudged Fenton in the ribs lightly with her elbow, making him turn even redder. Then her smirk grew bigger and bolder as she cupped a hand to Fenton’s ear and said in a not-very-quiet-and-discreet whisper to him three words that made his eyes pop wide and turn even redder still: “It’s a bikini.”

“And you’ll miss it if you stay!” Lena called in a sing-song voice, her hands still cupped around her mouth.

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Rosa said, smirking slightly. She gently pressed a kiss to Fenton’s cheek, then did the same with Gandra, and gave Huey a pat on the head as she said, “Now go have fun. Enjoy yourself. And _relax_ , pollito.”

Some of the tension in Fenton’s shoulders eased and he nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Was that truly necessary?” Huey hissed at Lena as they headed towards the hanger, following Fenton and Gandra.

“Of course it was necessary,” Lena responded, looking a bit smug as she added, “Like I said, I spent three hours at the mall ensuring that Fenton turns redder than your entire wardrobe when he sees Gandra’s new swimsuit. Plus, I’ve got a bet going with Vi that Fenton will be so stunned that he’ll walk face first into something, and that’s a bet I’d really like to win.”

“You’re horrible,” Huey said, shaking his head.

“Oh, I am, but you love me anyways,” Lena said, smirking as Huey groaned.

Louie walked over to his great-uncle, who was waving good-bye to Rosa, and said, “For real, though, the Gizmoduck armor is safe?”

“It’s so safe, Fenton doesn’t even really know where it is,” Scrooge informed him. “He thinks it is at the lab at the Money Bin with Gyro, but the armor is currently secured in the Other Bin. It was literally right under his feet and he had no idea. We’re not taking any chances, between Beaks and F.O.W.L. However, I imagine Gyro already has some pre-recorded responses from himself and Manny for when Fenton inevitably calls. Repeatedly.” He lowered his voice and said, “Though the less calls Gyro gets, the better chances there are that you and Huey will receive an advance on your allowance, if you catch my drift.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Scrooge, it sounds like Lena plans for Fenton to not be able to string two words together let alone make a phone call once we get there,” Louie said, making another face of disgust. “Storkules better come through on his promise on the unlimited hot, fresh baklava, because that’s the only thing that’s going to make being surrounded by two sappy couples worth it.”

As if on cue, the second sappy couple arrived, walking in through the door hand in hand, accompanied by Storkules, who was carrying Daisy’s suitcase.

“Thank you again for inviting me,” Daisy said, addressing both Donald and Storkules, looking over her shoulder to smile at the Greek demigod as she added, “I’m excited to see your home, Storkules.”

“I am very much anticipating showing you the very grounds upon which Donald and I forged our friendship,” Storkules said, grinning broadly. “Verily, I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of walking the shores of Ithaquack with my dearest friend, Donald, and the companion of his heart, the Fair Daisy.”

Daisy blushed, her smile wide, and Donald smiled softly at her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’m excited for our first trip together.” He told her. “I just hope everything actually goes according to plan this time. That it’s actually a vacation and not one that turns into an ‘adventure’.”

“Well, Uncle Donald, on one hand, Uncle Scrooge is staying behind, and there’s no Dewey to wrangle, so there’s a good likelihood this won’t turn into an adventure,” Louie said.

Donald frowned, studying his youngest nephew. “And on the other hand?” He questioned warily.

Louie grinned. “On the other hand, you probably just jinxed it.”

Donald groaned while Daisy laughed.

“Either way, it’ll be fun,” She said, squeezing Donald’s arm.

“Indeed!” Storkules said, suddenly scooping Donald, Daisy, and Louie into his arms, squeezing them into a tight hug. “For we shall all be together! Now come, Friend Donald, Fair Daisy, and Hero in Training Louie! Ithaquack awaits!”

**Friday evening, Ithaquack**

Storkules beamed broadly at his companions as the hatch of the Cloud Slayer lowered, and he grandly extended his arms, saying, “Welcome, my friends, to Ithaquack!”

“Storkules, your home is gorgeous!” Daisy exclaimed as she stepped into the sand, looking around in awe, stepping closer to the ocean. “I’ve never seen water so clear!”

Storkules chest puffed up with pride. “It brings great joy to my heart to hear your praise, Fair Daisy. It makes me most certain that you shall greatly enjoy the view from your chamber’s windows. Come, let me escort you to the villa so that we may get settled in.”

Storkules led the group a little further down the beach, where a grand house made of white marble stood; it was beautiful, with elegant columns and dark blue and gold tiles for accents, and the inside was even more breathtaking.

In the spacious foyer, a lone figure with long white hair wearing a pale blue gown and a crown stood. Storkules quickly ran up to her and embraced her.

“Selene!” Della exclaimed, running up to hug her friend after Storkules released his sister.

“Della!” Selene cried out, returning the hug. “It’s been too long! I’m so glad you were able to come!”

“Thank you so much for inviting us,” Della said.

“Always happy to!” Selene said.

Storkules put his arm around Selene’s shoulder and said, “Friends, this is my sister, Selene. My most Splendorous Sister, allow me to introduce you to the Sorceress Lena, Violet the Sage, Gosalyn the Mighty, the Noble Fenton, Gandra of Dee, and—last but most certainly not least—the companion of my dearest Friend Donald’s heart, the beautiful, incomparable Fair Daisy!”

Selene’s smile was bright and warm as she was introduced to the newcomers, but her smile suddenly became tight as Daisy waved at her, Donald’s arm around her waist.

“Welcome to Ithaquack,” Selene said. “Storkules and I will show you to your rooms so you can get settled in and freshen up. Dinner will be served in about an hour at the beachside pavilion. Della, I’ve got you in your usual room and put your boys in Donald’s old room, if you want to go on ahead.” To the younger girls, she said, “If you’ll follow me, girls, I put you in adjoining rooms.”

“And if you shall follow me,” Storkules said to Donald, Daisy, Fenton, and Gandra. 

Storkules led the two couples to large identical bedrooms, situated right beside each other. The rooms were filled with elegant but simple ancient Greek furniture, and in the very center of the rooms was a dais upon which stood a large bed with soft white sheets and a sheer white canopy that fluttered slightly in the sea breeze coming in from the large, open doors that led to balconies that faced the water. The ocean was already starting to turn into different shades of red and orange and purple as the sun began to set, the last visages of sunlight glinting and sparkling.

Daisy immediately went to the balcony, resting her hands on the railing as she sighed, her hair fluttering behind her. Donald smiled as he set down their luggage before coming behind her to wrap his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck.

“This is so romantic,” Daisy whispered, resting her hands over Donald’s. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

Storkules, who had lingered, smiled as he took in the sight of his friends and their contentment. He didn’t usually see Donald so happy, and Donald’s happiness was Storkules’ happiness.

So why, oh why oh why, was his heart so warm yet he felt something akin to stabbing in his heart? 

Still, Storkules stepped forward, doing his best to keep his distance—he was doing his best to learn boundaries, especially when it came to Donald and Daisy—and said, “Fair Daisy, while I am flattered to hear you say so about a place so dear to my heart, I know that you speak false. For you are able to see your breathtakingly beautiful visage in the mirror every single day, are you not?”

Daisy laughed, blushing slightly, and Donald’s smile changed, going from soft to something bolder, something full of amusement as he said, “You trying to steal my girl, Storkules?”

“No!” Storkules exclaimed, his eyes widening with horror. “I would never! Not only would that be dishonorable, but I would never do anything as villainous as steal away the happiness of my dearest friend!”

Daisy laughed again and Donald chuckled, letting go of Daisy briefly to put his hand on Storkules’ arm. 

“I’m just teasing you, you big palooka,” Donald told him. “I know you wouldn’t do that.”

Storkules’ heart skipped a beat as he stared at Donald’s face. The smile his friend wore was warm and bright, reminiscent of when they had first met each other in that odd in-between phase of their lives where they were no longer boys but not quite men. A time when that same smile came easier, when loss and pain and hardship hadn’t made Donald’s smile weary, when the world hadn’t tried so hard to break him.

Storkules had missed this. He had missed his friend as he had known him before Della’s disappearance, before the pain of her loss had caused a wedge between Donald and Scrooge, before…

Storkules wished that he could go back in time. That he could have been there for Donald, could have done something—anything—for that smile to not have been so hard to come by. That he had ignored his father’s wishes to stay bound to Ithaquack. If only he had gone to Duckburg just once, then he would have seen and known and understood the trials Donald faced. Seen Donald at his bravest, his most heroic, struggling through each and every day to raise his boys alone. Storkules wished he could have been there to fight this battle with Donald. Had he not once vowed to Donald that he would always be at his side in battle, no matter what they faced?

Just thinking about how he failed his friend brought shame to Storkules’ heart, for breaking a vow and for the few and far times over those ten years where he had wondered if, perhaps, Donald had forgotten about him. Had found some better best friend. Didn’t need him or want him anymore. Storkules was well aware of his shortcomings—his father was all too happy to remind him when he forgot—and knew that sometimes he aggravated his friend’s short temper with those shortcomings; perhaps, Storkules had wondered, Donald had finally grown tired of dealing with him as his father often did. Instead of banishing Storkules as Zeus was wont to do, Donald simply remained away, a reverse-banishment of sorts but isolating all the same.

Since realizing his mistake, Storkules had vowed to atone for his failures, to ensure that Donald’s ten years of strife were rewarded with unlimited happiness. Daisy, Storkules had learned, was the key to that happiness. This smile on Donald’s face was proof of Storkules’ triumph.

Yet, still, something Storkules did not understand grabbed at his heart.

Something that was as tied to Daisy as it was to Donald.

Something like… longing?

No, Storkules would never claim her heart. How could he, when she made Donald so happy? She was as dear to Storkules as Donald was, that he would never deny.

Storkules watched as Donald’s smile quickly faded, turning into a look of concern.

“Are you alright, buddy?” Donald asked.

Storkules blinked, coming out of his stupor. He had been quiet for too long, hadn’t he?

“Lost in the past, momentarily,” Storkules said. “Thinking that it has been a long time since we were together on Ithaquack, my friend. I have missed it. I mourn for the loss of time, but rejoice in what the future holds.”

Slowly, Donald’s smile returned, especially as Daisy came over and wove her arm through Donald’s. “So do I, pal. So do I.”

**Friday evening, New Quackmore**

“It’s really nice of Loopy to let us stay with her for the weekend,” Dewey said as he, Drake, and Launchpad stood in the elevator of Loopy’s apartment building, which slowly rose to her floor.

“She’s coming with us tomorrow, too, isn’t she?” Drake said.

“Yeah, she is,” Launchpad said as the doors dinged open.

“I didn’t know Loopy was into _Darkwing Duck_ ,” Dewey said as they walked the short distance to 7D, the door already open, the doorway occupied by Loopy herself, popping a bubble with her gum.

“When Launchpad is your big bro, you can’t not love _Darkwing Duck_. Launchpad loves it so much that, eventually, you do, too, if you spend enough time with him,” Loopy said, pushing herself off the doorframe and embracing her brother, who picked her off her feet and swung her in a circle before setting her back down. “Mom and Dad say ‘hi’ and sorry to miss you guys, but they hope we have fun tomorrow.” She let go of Launchpad and then gave Drake a hug and high-fived Dewey. Then she beckoned them inside. “Come on in, dinner will be ready soon.”

They entered the apartment, which was warm and the smell of the almost-done food was enveloping them.

“Launchpad, Drake, you two have the pull-out sofa,” Loopy said as she went into the small kitchen attached to the living room as a timer went off. “Dewey, I got a camping mattress for you that you can put wherever you want. Do you need a sleeping bag?”

“Got one!” Dewey said, tugging it free from his duffel.

“Awesome,” Loopy said as she pulled out a dish of chicken pot pie from the oven.

“Smells good, Loopy,” Drake said. “Need any help?”

“Nope, just need to let this cool for a bit before we eat,” Loopy said, tossing the oven mitts aside. “So, catch me up on the many adventures of Duckburg’s heroes.”

Soon, they were done eating and were well into dessert by the time Loopy had been filled in on everything that had happened since she had last been in Duckburg for the holidays, everything from Negaduck and Morgana, to Megavolt and Quackerjack, to F.O.W.L and Gandra.

“I’d really love to meet this Gandra chick someday,” Loopy commented as they started gathering up the empty ice cream bowls and loading the dishwasher. “She sounds awesome.”

“You two would definitely hit it off,” Dewey agreed. “You should come visit us in Duckburg soon.”

“Yeah, and Drake and I will return the favor of you letting us crash at your place, by letting you crash at our place.” Launchpad said.

“Our guest room will always be open,” Drake added.

“I’ll definitely take you up on that,” Loopy said. “When are you officially moving out of the mansion, LP?”

“Next weekend,” Launchpad answered. “A lot of my stuff is already at Drake’s, this’ll just be the last little bit.”

Dewey’s smile faded some and he quickly went over to his duffel bag, rummaging through it, pulling things out as he said loudly, “Wow, getting that late already? I’m going to grab a shower real quick, don’t want to be stinky tomorrow. See you in a bit!”

With that, he barricaded himself in the bathroom, the door slamming behind him slightly.

Launchpad sighed and leaned his back against Loopy’s counter, shaking his head. Drake came over and put his arm around Launchpad’s waist, holding him slightly. Loopy cocked an eyebrow, glancing between her brother and the bathroom door. She waited until she heard the water running before she said, “So what was that about?”

“Dewey’s not taking Launchpad moving in with me and Gosalyn well,” Drake answered in a low voice. “He was unpacking Launchpad’s things until pretty recently, until his mom and uncle figured out what he was doing.”

“It’s why I haven’t moved out already,” Launchpad said. “I’m trying to ease him into talking about it. Hoping that, maybe, this weekend will get him to loosen up a bit. I’m worried that if he doesn’t bring it up first, if someone else does, he definitely won’t talk.”

“Yeah, but don’t wait for him to talk first for so long that he thinks that this is the last hurrah in the epic Launchpad-Dewey bromance,” Loopy warned.

“Do you think he might think that? Or that it’s too late, and he already thinks that?” Launchpad asked Drake, who shrugged.

“I don’t know,” Drake admitted. “Dewey does have that kind of imagination that lets things spiral. So I definitely agree with Loopy. You might be running out of time to get Dewey to talk openly, and may be giving him too much space.”

“Tell you what,” Loopy said, closing up the dishwasher. “When Dewey gets out of the shower, Drake and I’ll give you two privacy to chat. See what happens.”

“Thanks,” Launchpad said, trying to ease the knot of worry and tension in him.

**Friday night, Ithaquack**

After a long day of travel and a feast fit for the gods, the kids had started to become drowsy and were sent off to bed, a day of fun on the beach the following morning an alluring promise. This left the adults to sit around the torch-lit pavilion and chat. Selene summoned for goblets and wine, which were quickly fetched by wind spirits.

Della eagerly filled her goblet and inhaled the scent of the wine before sipping some, humming in pleasure. “Ithaquack wine is even better than I remember it.”

“That’s right,” Selene said, nodding slightly. “Last time you had a long visit, you had just learned you were carrying the boys’ eggs. No wine for you.”

“First time in a while we didn’t have to delay our departure because our pilot had a hangover,” Donald teased his sister, leaning back in his chair, his arm around Daisy’s shoulders. Daisy snuggled up against him, cradling her own goblet in both hands, having quickly accepted Della’s heavy-handed pour.

“Shut up, Donald, you’re the one who spent that particular visit very drunk, crying because you were so happy you were going to be an uncle, and freaking out Storkules because he didn’t know what to do with you. Either of you want some?” Della directed the question at Gandra and Fenton, gesturing between the two with the neck of the bottle.

“I’ve actually never had wine before, so sure,” Gandra said, holding out her glass.

“Then your first should definitely be the best,” Della said as she poured some into Gandra’s glass. “Fair warning, though, it will ruin you for literally anything else. How about you, Fenton?”

“I don’t know,” Fenton said warily, looking between the empty glass in front of him and the bottle in Della’s hand, calculating. “What if there’s an emergency and we need to get back to Duckburg?”

“Fen, seriously, chill out,” Della said, filling Fenton’s goblet anyways. “Even if there was an emergency back home, there is literally nothing you can do about it. Your suit is in Duckburg, and your only transport is the Cloud Slayer, which I’m the only one who can fly, and, one, I’m legally required to rest between long flight sessions, which leads to, two, that I’m well on my way to becoming tipsy and it’s definitely illegal to pilot while under the influence. Basically, you’re stuck here for at least a day, so you might as well enjoy it.”

“Della…” Donald groaned, rubbing his forehead wearily.

“Wow, you should write inspirational greeting cards,” Gandra said dryly as she sipped her own wine.

“Wait, Della, doesn’t the government still think you’re dead? Which means that, technically, your pilot’s license is invalid anyways?” Fenton asked. “Meaning anytime you fly is illegal?”

“Yeah, what’s your point?” Della asked with a shrug. “Now shut up, drink some wine, and relax. Let loose a little.”

“This is the peer pressure they warn you about in middle school,” Fenton said even as he picked up his glass to take a drink. “Wow, this is good.”

“Of course it’s good, did you really think I was going to lead you astray?” Della asked, smirking as she sipped from her own glass.

“Considering last week I watched you convince Launchpad change the horn on the limo so that it sounded like bagpipes, yes, I had valid reasons to be concerned.”

“Hey, Uncle Scrooge loved it!”

“He was the only one!” Daisy said with a laugh.

Everyone else joined her in laughing, save Selene, who frowned slightly at Daisy.

“Would it be possible to take a few bottles of this wine home to Duckburg?” Daisy asked. “This is definitely the best I’ve ever had.” She smiled at Donald and added, “It’d be a nice drink for special occasions.”

Donald smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Most certainly!” Storkules said, nodding. “Any occasion in which you can drink good wine with good company is special.”

Selene once again had a tight smile as she said, “Or good wine may be just what you need to get through unbearable company.”

Storkules frowned at his sister’s words. “Is there something amiss, dear sister?”

“No,” Selene said, rising to her feet. “If you will excuse me for a moment, I just remembered I need to speak with the head of the kitchen. I’ll be back soon.”

As she left the pavilion, Della frowned and rose to her feet, taking a quick drink from her glass of wine before she followed Selene, calling over her shoulder, “Be right back.”

“Is everything okay?” Fenton asked, looking between Donald and Storkules, who both watched their sisters depart with confusion.

“I shall go find out,” Storkules said as he, too, stood up from the table.

“Selene!” Della called when they were far enough away from the pavilion.

Selene paused on the moonlit path and turned to look at Della. “Yes? What’s wrong?”

“I should be asking you that question,” Della said, stopping in front of her friend. “Something’s bothering you.”

“Nothing is bothering me,” Selene retorted.

“Oh yeah?” Della asked, arching an eyebrow. “Then why have you been a jerk to Daisy ever since we got here?”

“I have been perfectly civil to the ‘Fair Daisy’,” Selene said, practically sneering the other woman’s name.

“No, you’ve hardly looked at her, you won’t speak to her unless she speaks directly to you, and you give her this cold smile, like you’re forced to do so,” Della said, counting off on her fingers. “Then there was that total passive aggressive comment back there about ‘unbearable company’. I’ve never seen you like this before, this… unfriendly, to anyone. What gives, Selene? What has Daisy done to piss you off?”

Selene stared at her for a moment, then huffed and looked away, staring up at the night sky. “Look, Della, I’m sorry, but I just don’t think I can be happy for your brother when mine isn’t happy, let alone jump into being besties with the cause of my brother’s unhappiness.”

“Sister dearest, what are you talking about?”

Della and Selene turned to see Storkules stride down the path, frowning at his sister. “What has given thou the impression that I am unhappy, let alone that Daisy is the root cause of the distress I do not feel?”

Selene arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you serious? Are you being serious with me right now, Storkules?”

“More serious than our mighty father’s smites,” Storkules said, folding his arms over his chest. “Well? I am most anticipating your answer, Selene.”

Selene sighed. “Look, Storkules, I know how you feel about Donald. You’re in love with him. And now he’s literally in your home, with his girlfriend, practically shoving it in his face that he chose someone else.”

“Whoa, now,” Della said, scowling. “Donald’s not shoving anything in anyone’s face. And even if he was, there’s no need to take it out on Daisy.”

“I do not know what thou is talking about,” Storkules said, shaking his head slightly at Selene. “I am not in love with Friend Donald. Is he one of the dearest companions of my heart? Indeed, he is. Does this mean I love him? Yes. However, I am not _in_ love with him, no matter what you or the Valiant Rosa or the Mighty Penumbra or the Wise Melissa might believe.”

“Wow.” Selene said, drawing out the word. “You seriously believe that, huh?”

Storkules scowled. “Furthermore,” He said. “I personally invited both Friend Donald and the Fair Daisy to Ithaquack. I _want_ them both here. I am simply happy that they are happy, that they are able to enjoy the company of each other, and that I may enjoy time in their presence as well. If I am unhappy, it is because of your atrocious behavior towards the Fair Daisy. She is my friend, Selene. I care for her and her happiness. You say that Daisy is causing me distress, when rather it is you and your dislike of her that is causing me pain. I adore Daisy, and it would bring me joy for you to befriend her. Or, at the very least, make an attempt.”

Selene sighed. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll find some way to make it up to her and actually get to know her, how does that sound?”

Storkules nodded, his posture relaxing. “Agreeable.” He paused, then added, “Thank you, Selene.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Selene said with a wave of her hand.

Storkules gave his sister a hug, then headed back up towards the pavilion.

Selene thought for a moment, then said, “Hey, Della? What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Chase the kids around the beach for the most part, why?” Della asked.

Selene grinned, mischief twinkling like stars in her eyes. “How do you feel about adding one small adventure into this vacation?”

**Friday Night, New Quackmore**

After Dewey emerged from the bathroom, hair still damp and dressed in his pajamas, Drake went to grab the next shower while Loopy disappeared into her bedroom, saying that she was going to check her things for the next morning and get ready for bed.

This left Launchpad and Dewey alone in the living room.

“Can you help me pull out the couch?” Launchpad asked Dewey, who nodded. They moved the coffee table out of the way and pulled off the couch cushions, pulling out the sofa bed. “Thanks,” Launchpad said as Dewey tossed him the pillows Loopy had left for them. “You excited about tomorrow?”

“Yeah, it’ll be great,” Dewey said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Thanks again for all the help getting ready,” Launchpad said. “Doing all the research for the binder and stuff.”

“No problem, it was fun,” Dewey said, unrolling his sleeping bag on the camping mattress and sitting on top of it, folding his legs criss-cross. “Anytime you need someone to do recon on funnel cake, I’m your man.”

“No one else I’d rather do con food recon with,” Launchpad told him with a grin.

Something dark flashed in Dewey’s eyes and he flicked at a loose string on his sleeping bag, not looking at Launchpad as he said, “Yeah, well, I know that’s not true.”

Launchpad flinched at the blankness in Dewey’s tone, and the unexpectedness of his words. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” Dewey said quickly. Way too quickly. “Don’t worry about it.”

This didn’t bode well. “Dewey…”

“You know what, I’m really tired, it’s been a long day and it’ll be an even longer one tomorrow,” Dewey said, standing up and hovering over his sleeping bag, pulling down the zipper and climbing in, turning his back to Launchpad. “I’m going to sleep. Night, LP.”

Launchpad resisted the urge to sigh, instead saying, “Night, Dewey.”

Less than two feet separated them. But Launchpad had never felt so distant from his best friend before.

**Friday Late Night, Ithaquack**

Fenton sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Gandra to come out of the bathroom so they could go to sleep.

 _I shouldn’t look, I shouldn’t look, I shouldn’t look,_ he thought, glancing at where his phone lay on top of the nearby writing desk.

Then he sighed and grabbed his phone anyways, sinking back down onto the bed. However, he barely got past the lock-screen when he felt the bed shift beneath him from behind and saw another pair of fingers pluck the phone from his hand.

“Uh, uh, uh,” Gandra tutted, smirking slightly. “Everything is under control, and you are on vacation. So relax, Fenton.”

“I wasn’t going to check on Duckburg,” Fenton said defensively, reaching for his phone, Gandra keeping it just out of reach. “I was… going to play a game. Yeah. A game.”

“Oh? A game?” Gandra said, arching an eyebrow. “What kind of game?”

“You know. One of those phone games that are totally socially acceptable forms of relaxation.”

“Uh huh. What’s it called, Suit?”

“It’s, uh…” Fenton faltered. “The one with the cakes?”

Gandra flopped over onto her back, scrolling through Fenton’s apps. It was then that he realized that the t-shirt she was wearing was just a little bit too big on her and had the periodic table of elements on it, along with the phrase ‘I wear this shirt periodically’. A flutter of pride and happiness went through Fenton as he realized that the shirt was actually his and she had stolen it at some point. She made a humming noise and said, “Funny, I don’t see anything called ‘The One with the Cakes’ on here.”

“Give me that,” Fenton groaned, trying to reach for his phone, but ended up falling forward slightly as Gandra held her arms beyond her head—and, with them, Fenton’s phone—so that Fenton had to catch himself on all fours above her, his hands on either side of her head, their beaks touching.

To Fenton’s surprise, Gandra lifted her head slightly to kiss him, saying, “Come on, babe, at least try to relax.”

Fenton pushed himself off of her slightly, landing on his back on the mattress beside her, taking her hand in his.

“In case you couldn’t tell, I’m not that great at this whole ‘relaxing’ thing,” Fenton said. “It’s hard to get my brain to shut up and shut off, you know?”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” Gandra said. She shifted so that she was on her side, propping her head up on one hand, elbow on the bed. She sprawled her other hand on Fenton’s chest. “But remember what we talked about? That it’s not healthy for you to keep taking care of Duckburg if you don’t occasionally take some time to take care of yourself?”

“I think part of the problem is that I don’t know how to do that anymore,” Fenton admitted. “I was in school for so long, with all my time going towards writing papers and studying and being in class, so that my relaxation time was focusing on my independent inventions. But now I’ve got a job where that’s what I do when I’m not, you know, saving the city or sleeping. So while it’s still something I love, it’s not really ‘me time’ anymore and doesn’t always provide the recharge I used to get. Does that make sense?”

“It does,” Gandra said, nodding. “You just need to find something new for recharging your brain. You did pretty well on the plane, when you were reading your book. How about tomorrow morning, when we finally roll out of bed and we have a bit of breakfast, we find a nice spot on the beach to sit and read together?”

“That depends,” Fenton said, rolling onto his side to face her. “Does that mean I’ll finally get to see you in this infamous bikini?”

Gandra laughed and shoved Fenton onto his back. “Maybe. If you’re good. And if Lena’s awake, because I promised her that she could be around the first time you see me in it.”

“Just promise me that you won’t let me, I don’t know, fall off a cliff or something. Definitely make sure I don’t have something sharp or hot in my hands, please. Or drinking anything. Or…”

Gandra pressed a kiss to his forehead. “How about we worry about that in the morning and sleep for now?”

Fenton smiled, reaching up to cup Gandra’s cheek. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”

Fenton found that he was already relaxed enough to quickly fall asleep on a soft mattress with even softer sheets, to the sound of waves crashing against the shore, and with his arms wrapped around Gandra.

 _I can totally relax,_ he thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep, burying his face in Gandra's hair. _Maybe it’ll be easier than I thought._


End file.
